Postby jumptheshark » Thu May 02, 2019 12:39 pm
Very hard to gauge. If and when people really get into this sport, It's smart to have a few bars. Keep the freshest stuff for the windy days, and use older stuff for med to light winds. Example: The fresher bar for your 9m and down then use the older one for your bigger kites, or, your fresh stuff for wave/TT riding and older stuff for foiling or winter. It generally works out the newer stuff gets far less use and stays in great condition much longer.
As a minimalist, you have to turn over gear appropriately to maintain acceptable risk, but as a "collector" it doesn't take long to have a quiver of gear that suits different conditions. Spreading the use over a number of line sets hugely increases life span. My pearly white newest lines stay that way nearly indefinitely as they get very little use, where the dingy ones are used for years and years without issue for lower stress riding. I have no fear of actually using old line sets to their death..... which can literally take a decade with basic maintenance.
Once lines get a little too fuzzy at the point they cross, you learn to shorten them. A couple sets of extensions are great for preserving line length as they go on the kite end and never cross.
Currently I run about a half dozen bars and have a couple sets of extensions. They are all my preferred models, in great shape and the whole lot cost me less than one new click bar.
The odd time something gets damaged, its doesn't even dent your mood. You just grab another and rip your session, knowing you have a project waiting the next time there's a wind drought.
Another benefit is real familiarity with safety systems, trim, replacing depower lines, leaders, and tuning. I have a couple 5 line bars, 3 above bar trim, a couple with no trim or CL, and always keep one super minty stock universal bar with loads of trim range that will work with any four line kite out there. Only takes a couple minutes to swap out a set of lines on any of them. Get comfy with a simple Brummel splice and a few knots and your free from the plasticised inflation that kite gear is prone too.
Bottom line, get more than one and learn to maintain em. You save, time and money and figuring out what needs to change and when becomes pretty simple.